Lumberjack Cake

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Ingredients:
 * 200g dates, pitted and chopped
 * 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
 * 125g butter
 * 1 cup caster sugar
 * 1 egg
 * 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
 * 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and grated
 * 1 cup plain flour
 * 1/2 cup self-raising flour
 * Icing sugar to dust

Topping ingredients:
 * 75g butter
 * 1/3 cup milk
 * 1/2 cup brown sugar
 * 1 cup shredded coconut

Method:
 1. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
 2. Put the dates in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and bring to the boil.  Stir in bicarb soda then take pan off heat.  Set aside until just warm.
 3. Cream butter and sugar with electric beaters until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla then beat until combined.  Stir in date mixture and apple, then fold in sifter flours until just combined.  Spoon into cake tin then bake for 40 minutes.
 4. Meanwhile, combine all topping ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well combined.  Remove cake from oven and spread the topping over the cake.  Return cake to oven for 20-30 minutes (until topping is golden brown).
 5. Remove cake from oven and leave cake in tin to cool completely before removing from the tin.  Dust with icing sugar before serving.